Abstract
Starting from the recognition of firm’s knowledge gaps, this explorative study investigates the formation of needs for internationalization assistance. Drawing on Erikssson et al. (1997), the international knowledge accumulation process is analyzed. The aim is to shed light on how the role of different knowledge constructs varies in relation to the decision frame complexity and the related impact on demand for assistance programs. We test the hypotheses on a sample of 108 internationalized firms. Findings suggest that new service models, in support of firm’s internationalization, are to be based on a deeper understanding about how the international knowledge develops and changes along its accumulation process. These models are helpful to drive and favor the internationalization processes of SMEs.References
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Barkema H, Vermeulen F. (1998), International expansion through start-up or acquisition: a learning perspective, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 41 n. 1, pp. 7-26
Blomstermo A., Eriksson K., Linstrand A., Sharma D. D. (2004), The perceived usefulness of network experiential knowledge in the internationalizing firm, Journal of International Management, vol. 10, pp. 355-373
Bonaccorsi A. (1992), On the relationship between firm size and export intensity, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 23 n. 4, pp. 605-635
Brown J. S., Duguid P. (1998), Organizing knowledge, California Management Review, vol. 40, n. 3, pp. 90-111
Buratti N. (1997), Sviluppo internazionale e fabbisogno di informazioni delle piccolomedie imprese, in Cafferata R., Genco P. (a cura di), Competitività, informazioni e internazionalizzazione delle piccole-medie imprese, Il Mulino, Bologna.
Chetty S., Eriksson K. (2002), Mutual commitment and experiential knowledge in mature international business relationship, International Business Review, vol. 11, pp. 305-324
Cohen W., Levinthal D. (1990), Absorptive capacity: a new perspective on learning and innovation, Administrative Science Quarterly, 35, pp. 128-152
Costa P., Esposito G.F., Torre M. (2002), Piccole e medie imprese e processi di internazionalizzazione: considerazioni sui servizi reali per lo sviluppo della presenza sui mercati esteri, Piccola impresa/Small business, n. 1
Czinkota M.R (1996), Why national export promotions?, International Trade Forum, vol. 2
Czinkota M.R, Johnston W. J. (1981), Segmenting U.S. Firms for Export Development, Journal of Business Research, vol. 9, pp. 353-365
Dalli D., Gazzarini M. (1993), I servizi all’internazionalizzazione: una rassegna della letteratura, Commercio, n. 49, pp. 59-95
Dalli D., Gazzarini M. (1994), Servizi di supporto all’export: Selettività degli interventi e progettazione ad hoc, Economia e politica industriale, n. 82
Dalli D., Piccaluga A. (1994), Processi esportativi, ricerche di mercato all’estero e servizi di supporto all’export: un’indagine empirica in Toscana, Sinergie, vol. 12, n. 33
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Eriksson K., Chetty S. (2003), The effect of experience and absorptive capacity on foreign market knowledge, International Business Review, vol. 12, pp. 673-695
Eriksson K., Johanson J., Majkgard A., Sharma D.D. (1997), Experiential knowledge and cost in the internationalisation process, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 28 n.
2, pp. 337-360
Eriksson K., Johanson J., Majkgard A., Sharma D.D. (2000), Effect of Variation on Knowledge Accumulation in the internationalisation process, International Studies of
Management and Organization, vol. 30 n. 1, pp. 26-44
Eriksson K, Johanson J., Majkgärd A., Sharma D. D. (2001), Time and Experience in the Internationalization Process, Zeitschrift fur Betriebswirtschaft, Vol. 71, N° 1, p. 21-43 Forsgren M., Johanson J. (a cura di), (1992), Management Networks in International Business, Gordon and Breach
Forsgren M. (2002), The concept of learning in the Uppsala internationalization process model: a critical review, International Business Review, vol. 11, pp. 257-277
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Gabrielsson M., Manek Kirpalani V.H. (2004), Born Globals: How to reach new business space rapidly, International Business Review, vol 13, pp. 555-571
Galli G., Vignola M. (2007), Gli investimenti diretti all’estero: Le principali direttrici di sviluppo, in Bursi T. (a cura di), I processi di internazionalizzazione delle piccole e medie imprese della provincia di Modena. Il ruolo degli investimenti diretti all’estero,
FrancoAngeli
Gençturk E.F., Kotabe M. (2001), The Effect of Export Assistance Program Usage on Export Performance: A contingency Explanation, Journal of International Marketing, vol.
9 n. 2, pp. 51-72
Hadley R.D., Wilson H. I.M. (2003), The network model of internationalisation and experiential knowledge, International Business Review, vol. 12, pp. 697-717
Johanson J, Mattson L.-G. (1988), Internationalization in Industrial Systems – A Network Approach, in Buckley P. J., Ghauri P. (edited by), (1993), The internationalization of the firm.
A reader, Academic Press
Johanson J., Vahlne J.-E. (1977), The internationalization process of the firm – a model of knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitments, Journal of international Business Studies, vol. 8 n. 1, pp. 23-32
Johanson J., Vahlne J.-E. (1990), Mechanism of Internationalization, International Marketing Review, vol. 7 n. 4, pp. 11-24
Johanson J., Vahlne J.-E. (2006), Commitment and Opportunity Development in the Internationalization Process: A Note on the Uppsala Internationalization Process Model, Management International Review, vol. 46 n. 2, pp. 165-178
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Kotabe M. e Czinkota M.R. (1992), State government promotion of manufacturing exports: a gap analysis, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 23, n. 4, pp. 637-658
Lindblom C.E. (1959), The science of muddling through, Public Administration Review, 19, 1: 79-88
Moini A.H. (1998), Small firms exporting: how effective are government export assistance programs?, Journal of Small Business Management, vol. 36 n. 1, pp. 1-15
Naidu G.M., Rao T.R. (1993), Public Sector Promotion of Exports: A Needs-Based Approach, Journal of Business Research, vol. 27, pp. 85-101
Onetti A. (2003), Internazionalizzazione d’impresa e agevolazioni finanziarie. Evidenze di un’analisi empirica, Quaderni Facoltà di Economia dell’Università dell’Insubria, n. 10
Pagliacci F. (2009), I servizi all’internazionalizzazione delle PMI in Italia: un’analisi del matching tra domanda e offerta, in Della
Bella C., Pagliacci F., Vignola M. (a cura di), Servizi reali e finanziari per l’internazionalizzazione delle imprese, Franco Angeli, Milano
Penrose E. (1959), The Theory of the Growth in the Firm, Basil Blackwell, London
Polanyi M. (1967), The Tacit Dimension, Garden City, New York: Anchor 1967
Resmini L., Saviolo S. (1997), L’impatto dei servizi reali all’internazionalizzazione sulle piccole e medie imprese: un’analisi empirica, in Alessandrini S. (1997), I servizi reali
all’internazionalizzazione delle imprese. Aspetti teorici e metodologie di analisi, Il Mulino, Bologna
Seringhaus F.H.R. (1987), The Role of Informational Assistance in Small Firm’s Export Involvement, International Small Business Journal, vol. 5 n. 2, pp. 26-36
Szulansky G. (1996), Exploring internal stickiness: impediments to the transfer of best practices within the firm, Strategic Management Journal, 17, pp. 27-43
Vignola M. (2009), La formazione del fabbisogno di servizi all’internazionalizzazione: la proposta di un modello interpretativo, in Della Bella C., Pagliacci F., Vignola M. (a cura di), Servizi reali e finanziari per l’internazionalizzazione delle imprese, Franco Angeli, Milano
Walters P. (1983), “Export”/Information sources- a study of/their usage and utility, International marketing review, Vol. 1 n2, pp. 33-43
Wilkinson T., Brouthers L. E. (2006), Trade promotion and SME export performance, International Business Review, vol. 15, pp. 233-252
Winter S.G. (1987), Knowledge and competence as strategic assets, in Teece D. (a cura di), The competitive challenge – Strategies for industrial innovation and renewal, Ballinger,
Cambridge
Winter S.G., Szulansky G. (2001), Replication as strategy, Organization Science, Vol. 12, n. 6, pp. 730–743
Zollo M., Winter S.G. (2002), Deliberate learning and the evolution of dynamic capabilities, Organization Science, 13, pp. 339-351
Barkema H, Vermeulen F. (1998), International expansion through start-up or acquisition: a learning perspective, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 41 n. 1, pp. 7-26
Blomstermo A., Eriksson K., Linstrand A., Sharma D. D. (2004), The perceived usefulness of network experiential knowledge in the internationalizing firm, Journal of International Management, vol. 10, pp. 355-373
Bonaccorsi A. (1992), On the relationship between firm size and export intensity, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 23 n. 4, pp. 605-635
Brown J. S., Duguid P. (1998), Organizing knowledge, California Management Review, vol. 40, n. 3, pp. 90-111
Buratti N. (1997), Sviluppo internazionale e fabbisogno di informazioni delle piccolomedie imprese, in Cafferata R., Genco P. (a cura di), Competitività, informazioni e internazionalizzazione delle piccole-medie imprese, Il Mulino, Bologna.
Chetty S., Eriksson K. (2002), Mutual commitment and experiential knowledge in mature international business relationship, International Business Review, vol. 11, pp. 305-324
Cohen W., Levinthal D. (1990), Absorptive capacity: a new perspective on learning and innovation, Administrative Science Quarterly, 35, pp. 128-152
Costa P., Esposito G.F., Torre M. (2002), Piccole e medie imprese e processi di internazionalizzazione: considerazioni sui servizi reali per lo sviluppo della presenza sui mercati esteri, Piccola impresa/Small business, n. 1
Czinkota M.R (1996), Why national export promotions?, International Trade Forum, vol. 2
Czinkota M.R, Johnston W. J. (1981), Segmenting U.S. Firms for Export Development, Journal of Business Research, vol. 9, pp. 353-365
Dalli D., Gazzarini M. (1993), I servizi all’internazionalizzazione: una rassegna della letteratura, Commercio, n. 49, pp. 59-95
Dalli D., Gazzarini M. (1994), Servizi di supporto all’export: Selettività degli interventi e progettazione ad hoc, Economia e politica industriale, n. 82
Dalli D., Piccaluga A. (1994), Processi esportativi, ricerche di mercato all’estero e servizi di supporto all’export: un’indagine empirica in Toscana, Sinergie, vol. 12, n. 33
Diamantopoulos A., Shlegelmilch B.B., Tse K.Y. (1993), Understanding the role of export promotion marketing assistance: empirical evidence and research needs, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 27 n. 4, pp. 5-18
Eriksson K., Chetty S. (2003), The effect of experience and absorptive capacity on foreign market knowledge, International Business Review, vol. 12, pp. 673-695
Eriksson K., Johanson J., Majkgard A., Sharma D.D. (1997), Experiential knowledge and cost in the internationalisation process, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 28 n.
2, pp. 337-360
Eriksson K., Johanson J., Majkgard A., Sharma D.D. (2000), Effect of Variation on Knowledge Accumulation in the internationalisation process, International Studies of
Management and Organization, vol. 30 n. 1, pp. 26-44
Eriksson K, Johanson J., Majkgärd A., Sharma D. D. (2001), Time and Experience in the Internationalization Process, Zeitschrift fur Betriebswirtschaft, Vol. 71, N° 1, p. 21-43 Forsgren M., Johanson J. (a cura di), (1992), Management Networks in International Business, Gordon and Breach
Forsgren M. (2002), The concept of learning in the Uppsala internationalization process model: a critical review, International Business Review, vol. 11, pp. 257-277
Francis J., Collins-Dodd C. (2004), Impact of export promotion programs on firm competencies, strategies and performance. The case of Canadian high-technology SMEs, International Marketing Review, vol. 21, n. 4/5, pp. 474-495
Gabrielsson M., Manek Kirpalani V.H. (2004), Born Globals: How to reach new business space rapidly, International Business Review, vol 13, pp. 555-571
Galli G., Vignola M. (2007), Gli investimenti diretti all’estero: Le principali direttrici di sviluppo, in Bursi T. (a cura di), I processi di internazionalizzazione delle piccole e medie imprese della provincia di Modena. Il ruolo degli investimenti diretti all’estero,
FrancoAngeli
Gençturk E.F., Kotabe M. (2001), The Effect of Export Assistance Program Usage on Export Performance: A contingency Explanation, Journal of International Marketing, vol.
9 n. 2, pp. 51-72
Hadley R.D., Wilson H. I.M. (2003), The network model of internationalisation and experiential knowledge, International Business Review, vol. 12, pp. 697-717
Johanson J, Mattson L.-G. (1988), Internationalization in Industrial Systems – A Network Approach, in Buckley P. J., Ghauri P. (edited by), (1993), The internationalization of the firm.
A reader, Academic Press
Johanson J., Vahlne J.-E. (1977), The internationalization process of the firm – a model of knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitments, Journal of international Business Studies, vol. 8 n. 1, pp. 23-32
Johanson J., Vahlne J.-E. (1990), Mechanism of Internationalization, International Marketing Review, vol. 7 n. 4, pp. 11-24
Johanson J., Vahlne J.-E. (2006), Commitment and Opportunity Development in the Internationalization Process: A Note on the Uppsala Internationalization Process Model, Management International Review, vol. 46 n. 2, pp. 165-178
Katsikeas C. S., Leonidou L. C., Morgan N. A. (2000), Firm-level Export Performance Assessment: Review, Evaluation, and Development, Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 28, n. 4, pp. 493-511
Kotabe M. e Czinkota M.R. (1992), State government promotion of manufacturing exports: a gap analysis, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 23, n. 4, pp. 637-658
Lindblom C.E. (1959), The science of muddling through, Public Administration Review, 19, 1: 79-88
Moini A.H. (1998), Small firms exporting: how effective are government export assistance programs?, Journal of Small Business Management, vol. 36 n. 1, pp. 1-15
Naidu G.M., Rao T.R. (1993), Public Sector Promotion of Exports: A Needs-Based Approach, Journal of Business Research, vol. 27, pp. 85-101
Onetti A. (2003), Internazionalizzazione d’impresa e agevolazioni finanziarie. Evidenze di un’analisi empirica, Quaderni Facoltà di Economia dell’Università dell’Insubria, n. 10
Pagliacci F. (2009), I servizi all’internazionalizzazione delle PMI in Italia: un’analisi del matching tra domanda e offerta, in Della
Bella C., Pagliacci F., Vignola M. (a cura di), Servizi reali e finanziari per l’internazionalizzazione delle imprese, Franco Angeli, Milano
Penrose E. (1959), The Theory of the Growth in the Firm, Basil Blackwell, London
Polanyi M. (1967), The Tacit Dimension, Garden City, New York: Anchor 1967
Resmini L., Saviolo S. (1997), L’impatto dei servizi reali all’internazionalizzazione sulle piccole e medie imprese: un’analisi empirica, in Alessandrini S. (1997), I servizi reali
all’internazionalizzazione delle imprese. Aspetti teorici e metodologie di analisi, Il Mulino, Bologna
Seringhaus F.H.R. (1987), The Role of Informational Assistance in Small Firm’s Export Involvement, International Small Business Journal, vol. 5 n. 2, pp. 26-36
Szulansky G. (1996), Exploring internal stickiness: impediments to the transfer of best practices within the firm, Strategic Management Journal, 17, pp. 27-43
Vignola M. (2009), La formazione del fabbisogno di servizi all’internazionalizzazione: la proposta di un modello interpretativo, in Della Bella C., Pagliacci F., Vignola M. (a cura di), Servizi reali e finanziari per l’internazionalizzazione delle imprese, Franco Angeli, Milano
Walters P. (1983), “Export”/Information sources- a study of/their usage and utility, International marketing review, Vol. 1 n2, pp. 33-43
Wilkinson T., Brouthers L. E. (2006), Trade promotion and SME export performance, International Business Review, vol. 15, pp. 233-252
Winter S.G. (1987), Knowledge and competence as strategic assets, in Teece D. (a cura di), The competitive challenge – Strategies for industrial innovation and renewal, Ballinger,
Cambridge
Winter S.G., Szulansky G. (2001), Replication as strategy, Organization Science, Vol. 12, n. 6, pp. 730–743
Zollo M., Winter S.G. (2002), Deliberate learning and the evolution of dynamic capabilities, Organization Science, 13, pp. 339-351
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